New Frontiers!

RETAILERS EXPLORE FRESH TERRITORY GUIDED BY STYLISH AND INNOVATIVE HOME FASHION RESOURCES

Travel expands one's horizons and this market home fashion resources are offering everything from a stay at a French château to a ride on the Orient Express or some time on a dude ranch. But it's still the islands that are calling most strongly.

Trend-wise "the tropical/Tommy Bahama look continues with more island influences," notes Lorrie Meyer, director of design, LaMont. To address that LaMont is introducing Tropical Isle bath accessories and polyester/cotton shower curtain.

Park B. Smith Ltd. has also been bitten by the island bug and premieres Eco-Island bedding, a new colorway using cinnamon and mesquite as accent colors for the sage and naturals. In the bath there are textured and chenille shower curtains in Island with chenille rugs to match.

The Rug Market introduces Tropical Bamboo, a 100% wool petite-hook area rug, which offers a bold design of tropical foliage on a beige background with a border resembling woven bamboo.

Avanti Linens' 100% cotton sheared velour towels, embellished with a deep woven border and fringe (Lanai with palms and Tiki with a welcoming pineapple motif) fit the island lifestyle.

Pillow Perfect adds still more tropical looks, territory that is like home to the Florida-based company.

EX-CELL Home Fashions, Inc. offers Plantation decorative pillows with palm trees, leaves, and jungle motifs in a beige/green colorway.

Glenda Heffer, senior design director for Hollander Home Fashions, sums it when she says, "A longing for an escape from the demands of daily life and reduced long-distance travel has made for a more global desire for the exotic."

But if this desire becomes reality, Sleep Innovations has just the thing for the trip-the Novaform Travel & Leisure Line. Made of custom-molded Visco-elastic foam, the line offers a range of pillows and shapes including contour pillows, travel pillows, seat cushions, and more, all covered with a supple leather.

New Design Terrain

Although Bay Linens still sways to the tropical beat with Sanibel, a sophisticated floral and foliage bed ensemble, it is also staking out new territory with Sierra Madre, a Southwestern theme with a woven American Indian pattern accented with denim and leather.

From Revman's Echo Home line comes The New West bed inspired by a Beacon blanket with a true Southwest feel. Foreston Trends is introducing new leather and denim styles for the table as well as jacquards and textured dobbies in desert hues and jewel tones.

Marliese Krivobok-Johnson, designer for Louisville Bedding Co., sees "a surge in interest in high-end Asian-inspired design. Black, red, and gold are classic. The new butter yellow and soft lime green add an up-to-date twist." Louisville Bedding introduces the Asiatique Collection of decorative pillows.

Hollander Home Fashions goes East, too. In the Vendome Collection Jakarta is a diamond medallion jacquard, and Kyoto has an Asian-inspired leaf and undulating scroll motif in a stria stripe panel.

Among the opulent bedding ensembles in WestPoint Stevens' Answer Bed program is Madrasa, colored in sages and taupes and inspired by antique paisley shawls. And in the less pricey Down Bed-In-A-Bag, WestPoint offers Dynasty, a traditional damask pattern in greens and golds printed on 230-thread-count sateen in a lightweight construction and with a Japanese look. The duvet comes stuffed with a down comforter.

From the Echo Home collection by Revman comes Bamboo under the influence of feng shui. The bedding ensemble features an allover bamboo print and coordinating raffia decorative pillows.

"Linen is very big in apparel and will be very strong in home furnishings," say Al White, vice president design, Surefit, Inc. The Linen Weave Collection of slipcovers and decorative pillows with the look of linen but the ease of a blend of olefin, cotton, and acrylic.

Whirlwind Tour

The A in Ashford Court must stand for abundance as it introduces three new decorative pillow collections-Elegance, Swedish Country, and Gypsy- and adds ten new raffia designs while also expanding the Michael Day Animal Tapestry Collection with Giraffe, Elephant, and Zebra, all on the Serengeti plain. The Cowboy Chic collection is also riding high with new styles.

Cecil Saydah Company explodes with new merchandise-more than 70 new styles of decorative pillows and 6 collections including Prairie Home, Cowpoke Country, and High Sierra (Go West, retailer, go western, to paraphrase Horace Greeley). There are also more than 40 new printed and solid woven kitchen ensembles, some with coordinating placemats, chairpads, and tablecloths in fruit, floral, and novelty designs. And for the bath, ten new coordinated ensembles debut, ranging from pretty florals to graphic black-and-white designs to prairie/Western motifs. Not to be outdone, John Ritzenthaler Co. introduces more than 200 bath SKUs including solid color, two-color jacquards, and embellished towels.

In addition to EX-CELL's Plantation decorative pillows, it is also offering Vintage Chic, vintage floral patterns with lots of embellishments including ribbons and tassels; Asian Zen, Oriental-inspired designs in bright blue and red; and Global Visions, a formal world-traveler look with gold-and-black paisley patterns and velvet and tassels.

At Town & Country Living decorative pillows go from the 18" x 18" Formal Elegance, with striae damasks and moirés embellished with braid and bullion fringe, to the casual 20" x 20" South Beach available in ten colors and the 18" x 18" Honcho in five colorways.

Revere Mills is introducing 20 embroidered Turkish cotton towels in colors to coordinate with current trends in the bath. For the kitchen Revere has 12 new designs in prepacks of kitchen towel, dishcloth, 8" x 8" potholder, and oven mitt.

Jack McDonnell of Hedaya Home Fashions, Inc. reports that better quilts are continuing to "sell and the category is growing. The popularity of quilts has expanded the look from traditional and novelty to fashion forward, romantic, and trendy."

Chris Madden goes Hollywood with a new collection of silk throws and decorative pillows for Mohawk Home. Also new is Nuance, a quilted rayon/silk throw and pillow with silk trim.

Lawrence Home Fashion's Gail Walfish of sees "a lot of embellishment" and has added three patterns-Tripoli, La Scala, and Bridal Rose-to its Versailles Collection. While LibecooLagae goes for "sober elegance" with Basics, a new collection of 100% linen sheets, duvet covers, and pillowcases in white, rose, light blue, and eco dark.

Asking Directions

Arthur Greenspan of Town & Country Living sees two color directions. For more formal looks there are luxurious colors such as burgundy and sage, while casual lightens up with mid-tones and ends up with brights.

WestPoint Stevens offers two nearly contradictory palettes for towels: New Foundations and Bollywood. The first is a soft range of 'cosmetic' colors, and Bollywood draws inspiration from the Indian movie industry, which is famous for its exuberant use of color and escapist storylines. For the bed there is again a cosmetic palette, and to balance those pales are misty, African violet, tigerlily, cinnabar, and iris.

It's the colors of Provence that are important at Waverly. Its spice colorway, a peppered yellow tone, coordinates with cranberry, sage, Wedgwood, and black.

Park B. Smith Ltd. targets some of the hottest new colors in its new Royal Chenille area rugs. The rayon/cotton or cotton loop rugs come in truffle, eggplant, denim sapphire, Moroccan red, mesquite, and 19 other colors.

Countering the move to jewel tones, Raffia opts for pastels-sage, light pink, white, ecru, and tints of blue, yellow, and gray. And Beth Mason at Saturday Knight Ltd. also goes pale for graphic floral, a coming trend as she sees it.

Licensed Tour Guide

Cheri Blum continues to bloom in the home textile patch. American Blanket Corporation is introducing four new raschel luxury acrylic blanket throws: Clematis Nosegay, Crackled Florals, Gardener's Shelf, and Magnolia. Hedaya Home Fashions Inc. is debuting two new Cheri Blum quilts-Spring Prairie and Mon Cheri, both polyester and cotton-filled, patched, and embroidered.

Divatex is responsible for the first Daniel Basso Home collection, which is sold exclusively on QVC. Basso, well known as a couture furrier, made faux fur the focus of the collection, but also included lighter spring/summer looks. With matelassé, jacquard, and woven chenille top-of-bed, the collection also includes 300-thread-count Egyptian cotton sheeting.

Joseph Abboud has found a new home at Divatex, which is producing top-of-bed, sheets, accessories, and throws. Creative Home Furnishings, sister to Joseph Abboud's bath accessories' licensor Creative Bath, has been tapped for a new decorative pillow line under the name Joseph Abboud Environments.
United Feather & Down produces the Joseph Abboud Decorative Down Collection in silk stripes, classic plaids, microsuedes, and more. United is also home to Ron Chereskin, who bursts on the home fashions scene with bedding from Britannica, table linens from Tobin, shower curtains from Maytex, and to surround it all-wallcoverings by Brewster.

At Hollander Home Fashions there are four new Karen Neuburger designs in Cuddlebeds in flannel, jersey, terry, and 300-thread-count cotton as well as pillows with down alternative and down/feather fills.

Susan Sargent continues to extend her design reach with table linens and kitchen textiles from John Ritzenthaler Co. A complete menu of table and kitchen textiles is offered in Blue Paisley, undeniably from Sargent's vibrant palette.

At CHF Industries Nick Munro, a giftware designer, gets a shot at bath accessories with two coordinated groupings-Mode and Urbanware-as well as freestanding items.

Revman Industries is relaunching the Echo collection as Echo Home, a complete lifestyle brand. Revman's bed ensembles are offered in open stock with 250-thread-count cotton sheeting and oversized cotton accessories. One of the four new designs is Samantha inspired by the strong, independent woman of today. It is adapted from a successful scarf pattern and has been translated into a "bold and seductive" bed.

CHF Industries introduces a bed and bath collection with the signature look of Vera, the designer who made her mark with exuberant hand-painted designs and developed the first-ever fully coordinated home collection in the 1960s. Butterfly, Fern, and Daffodil are the first patterns of coordinating bed and bath accessories. There are also three freestanding vinyl shower curtains-Poppy, Kansas, and Sunny Day. In the juvenile area, where CHF has been so successful, O.P., a national apparel brand, surfs in with bed ensembles and beach towels inspired by the hip board sports-surf and skate. Thomas the Tank takes its first bow at Mohawk Home.

EX-CELL Home Fashions has enlarged its licensed stable with bath ensembles from Paul Brent, Christian Lassen, Matisse, and Sarah Frederking. It is also adding table linen programs with David Carter Brown, Naylor-Faulkner, and Anna Lee. The new Monaco and Scalloped Flower table linens join its very highly successful Pfaltzgraff program.

Although Bardwil Linens offers a number of new spring and Easter-themed table linen collections in a decidedly spring palette, it is also adding Provençal Garden in its Lenox license and a freestanding placemat program for Royal Velvet.

Pacific Coast Feather Company is introducing two new Sealy product lines: Sealy HomeFX and the luxury Sealy Encore. Sealy Best Fit! now has 23 different colors and nine fabrications of 100% combed cotton sateen up to 500-thread count.

WestPoint Stevens has licensed Franco Mfg. to produce flannel and jersey sheets and coordinated accessories for the WestPoint brands including Martex, Grand Patrician, Patrician, Lady Pepperell, and Five Star Hotel. Franco is also doing beach towels and kitchen accessories for those brands plus Utica and Stevens. WestPoint has also licensed Notra Morgan Home Fashions to produce flannel and jersey sheets and coordinated accessories for Utica and Stevens. Notra Morgan is also marketing high-quality, innovative products under the VELLUX brand name.

Latex Foam International (LFI) and Louisville Bedding have allied to create a new family of products, developed in response to the growing demand for latex foam pillows. Using the Talalay process, LFI can produce pillows with unique pillow density options as well as combine latex with down and fiber.

Change of Scene

TerriSol launches its Suite Collection of bath ensembles of 100% Brazilian cotton with four themes: Femininity, Urban, Bohemian Rhapsody, and Seasonal. These are being showcased on the sixth floor of its showroom at 254 Fifth Avenue, which has been redone as a 'penthouse apartment' with a fabulous view.

Bacova Bath purchased Burlington Industries' bath division in April 2002 and debuts its first collection of coordinated bath ensembles as well as freestanding shower curtains and bath accessories this market.

P.J. Kids, manufacturer of children's furniture, has taken the logical next step by adding a 100% cotton bedding line for children. Called Better Basics, it consists of six pieces packaged together in a bedding bag that can double as a laundry bag with either 220-thread-count cotton percale or cotton flannel. There are five collections for boys and an equal number for girls.

EX-CELL is aiming for an even bigger splash in the bath with new fabric, vinyl, and EVA shower curtains with fully coordinated accessories, where there is a focus on resin and acrylic. EX-CELL is merchandising products into categories for distribution to either department/specialty stores or to mass market.

To accompany its classic Laura Ashley bedding designs, Revman now offers Laura Ashley Single Stem Flowers. There are amazingly realistic roses, peonies, tulips, snapdragons, and even a Dancing Oncidium Orchid-all guaranteed never to wilt.

Curtain czar S. Lichtenberg now dresses showers with 40 shower curtain patterns to debut in October. Constructions include 100% cotton, polyester/cotton blends, and 100% polyester.

Waverly is introducing a complete window and French door fabric blind. "We have designed an innovative panel with straight valance that easily folds up and stays in place with two tabs, to make a stagecoach valance at the top of the French door," explains Pamela Maffei-Toolan, design director, Waverly Lifestyle Group. Sheers in the window program are inspired by fabrics from French Accents and Williamsburg Images of Nature collections. Brittany Scroll Embroidery inspired the solids, a faux-silk moiré and a piqué.

Best Brands Home Products has entered into an agreement to acquire the assets of the H.W. Baker Linen Co., a supplier of textiles, amenities, and guest-room supplies to the North American hospitality industry.

Pacific Coast Feather Co. is introducing a year-round merchandising program for down and down-alternative comforters, blankets, and throws intended to increase productivity during quieter months. Nine new patterns and colors have been added in down blankets.

American Blanket Corporation and its sister company, United Weavers of America, have expanded their successful coordination program of area rug and blanket throw ensembles. A new pattern is Matterhorn, a contemporary geometric design in earth tones, and Montage, already successful, has been recolored in a pastel colorway.

Phoenix Fine Linens has gone quilt crazy with a huge collection of cotton quilts. The styles range from the New England Quilt Collection to French Country. Phoenix also is showing a number of trapunto quilts; they are reversible or are in the French boutis style. The color stories revolve around American folk favorites, brights with a tropical twist, and traditional deep tones with an exotic flavor.

Ashley McBride is back on the scene, with a showroom at 149 Madison Avenue. The first offering includes six handmade silk quilts, including American, a celebration of the flag with typically American prints.

Hollander Home Fashions has expanded its 1071 Avenue of the Americas showroom to 13,000-square feet to accommodate the company's three design licenses-Karen Neuburger, Laura Ashley, and Simmons Beautyrest-and its own branded fashion and basic bedding. United Feather & Down joins Hollander at 1071 Avenue of the Americas and can be found in suite 200.

Mohawk Home has a new location in 295 Fifth Avenue--suite 1412-where it can showcase its broad array of home textiles in one spot, including the Newmark/Goodwin Weavers division.

Springs is gathering its recent acquisitions-Beaulieu Rugs and Burlington House window and bedding-in its 104 West 40th Street showroom...The Austin Horn Collection is now at home at 230 Fifth Avenue in suite 1913....J.R. United Industries is showing at Morgan's Hotel as well as presenting its IZOD-licensed products at the IZOD showroom at 200 Madison Avenue.

Whatever the destination, the time to book is now, October 13-17, 2002 in New York.

Neutral Territory

A) Bamboo cotton sham, Columbine Cody, 800-553-5621; B) Pantry Plaid French Door Blind, cotton in canvas, Waverly, 212-213-7255; C) Larry Laslo's Silk Pajamas, cotton shams, WestPoint Stevens, 212-930-2000; D) Barrington, cotton sham, Messina & Zucker, 212-889-3750; E) Washington Square decorative pillow, sham, Bay Linens, 212-725-2002, ext. 28; F) Savoy Check placemat; Royal Velvet Shine napkin in wicker, Bardwil Linens, 212-944-1870; G) Moda soap dish, curtain hook, lotion dispenser, tissue box cover, stoneware; Foundations, soap dish, shower hook, toothbrush holder, lotion dispenser, resin, Croscill Home, 212-689-7222; H) Tracy Bouquet ,shower curtain, embellished cotton bath towel, Saturday Knight, Ltd., 513-641-1400; I) Race Track, cotton bath towel, Cobra Trading Corp., 212-213-1850.

Shangri-la

A) Midnight Express sham, Hollander Home Fashions, 561-997-6900; B) Versailles, tapestry decorative pillow, Pacific Coast Home Furnishings, 323-838-7808; C) Echo Home, Samantha, cotton pillowcase, sham, Revman, 212-278-0300; D) Java Floral, cotton sateen pillowcase, Design Works, 770-644-6413; E) Bohemian Patch, Taj Mahal in brandy, decorative pillows, Newport, 503-283-4864; F) Williamsburg Garden Images, comforter, Waverly, 800-523-1200; G) Chinese Silk, decorative pillow, Hollander Home Fashions, 561-997-6900; H) Hydrangea, Trellis polyester/cotton bedding, Zorlu USA, 212-689-4622; I) Pebbles 12" decorative pillow in camel/crocodile, Matteo, 213-617-2813; J) Asiatique Collection, Chinoiserie, 16" x 20" rayon/polyester decorative pillow with decorative gimp, fringe, Louisville Bedding Co., 800-626-2954.

Tropical Paradise

A) Sea, polyester shower curtain, Bacova Bath, 336-841-4800; B) Palm, cotton quilt, C & F Enterprises, 888-889-9868; C) Bali, cotton bedding, Croscill Home, 212-689-7222; D) Tropical Breeze, ceramic toilet brush holder, tissue box cover, toothbrush holder, tumbler, soap dish, lotion
dispenser, wastebasket; cotton tub mat, embellished towel, Famous Home Fashions, 514-735-4566; E) Sealife, Sealife Border, embellished Turkish cotton bath towels, Revere Mills, 212-725-7583; F) Tropica, cotton osnaburg tablecloth in blue, TerriSol, 212-684-1006; G) Everglades, vinyl placemats in grass, conch pink, periwinkle, Lintex Linens, 212-679-8046.

Private Island

A) Nicole Miller's Bamboo, shoe organizer, Revman Industries, 212-278-0300; B) Trevose, wood frame, bamboo shelf, wastebasket, tissue box cover, Wickerware 'n More, 215-831-8585; C) Linen Weave Stripe, Solid, 53% olefin/44% cotton/3% acrylic decorative pillows, Surefit Inc., 212-869-6633;
D) Cabana Grape, Egyptian cotton decorative pillow, Matteo, 213-617-28132 ; E) Bamboo, cotton pillowcase, Revman Industries, 212-278-0300; F) Burma, round, square in rust, square in natural decorative pillows; Yoma Natural, Bamboo Natural, Bamboo Cocoa, coasters; Haiti, wooden bead placemats in natural, brown, black; Bamboo, placemat in cocoa, Trendex, 212-779-2340; G) Bamboo, cotton boudoir sham in white/camel, Steven Drew, 212-448-1884; H) Floor mat, 27" x 42" jute/reed with border, in natural/navy, Windham Weavers, 212-779-1242; I) Island Palms, 50" x 60" cotton throw, Mohawk Home, 800-843-4473; J) Tangiers, napkin in sienna; Palm, resin napkin ring, Bardwil Linens, 212-944-1870; K) Bamboo, Tropical Leaves, embellished cotton bath towels, John Ritzenthaler Co., 610-825-9321; L) Tropical Breeze, polyester/cotton shower curtain, resin shower hooks, Famous Home Fashions, 514-735-4566; M) Tropical Isle, ceramic tumbler, LaMont, 800-533-5621.

Brighton Beach

A) Tropical Isle, polyester/taffeta shower curtain, LaMont, 319-753-5131; B) Tahiti with Sailing Stripe, cotton beach towel, TerriSol, 212-684-1006; C) Daisy Delight, vinyl placemat in yellow, camel, pink, Newbridge, 212-889-6376; D) Palermo, linen table runner, napkin, Libeco-Lagae, 212-764-6644; E) Awning Stripe, cotton placemat, napkin in orange; English Breakfast, cotton kitchen towels in grape, pineapple,` Lintex Linens Inc., 212-213-1850; F) Tahiti, wooden bead placemats in turquoise, green, orange, Trendex, 212-779-2340; G) Gardenia, placemat, potholder, oven mitt, Stonebrook Linens, 212-686-3101; H) Susan Sargent for Ritz, Blue Paisley, cotton placemat, napkin, tablecloth, kitchen towels, John Ritzenthaler Co., 610-825-9321; I) Sandbox Jewels, Polka Dots, cotton beach towels; Fireflies, cotton hand towel, Cobra Trading Corp., 212-213-1850.

Play Land

A) Melynda, Prima cotton/acrylic blanket, Biederlack of America, 301-759-3633; B) Pillow People Snoozables' Pillow Fighter, Sweet Dreams, 15" x 18" plush pillows with polyester fill, Best Brands Home Products, 212-684-7456; C) Disney's Pooh Dots, cotton comforter, pillowcase, sheet, sham, WestPoint Stevens, 212-930-2000; D) Remmy's Good Night Pillow, PrimaLoft, United Feather & Down, 800-932-3696; E) Nicole Miller's Trendy shoe organizer, Revman, 212-279-0300; F) Sweethearts, cotton bedding, Hollander Home Fashions, 561-997-6900; G) Barbie Patchwork, printed acrylic-fleece throw, The Northwest Company, 212-725-6996, ext. 18; H) Mini Stripe Baby Towel Collection, Egyptian cotton terry-cloth hooded towel, wash mitt, towel in blue; hooded towel in pink, Matouk, 212-683-9242..

Garden Spot

A) Cheri Blum's Clemantis Nosegay, 85% luxury acrylic raschel throw/blanket, American Blanket Corp., 800-241-5754; B) Belle Epoque's Rose Vine, cotton matelassé shams, CGG Home Fashions, 800-452-2858; C) Regimental, 55% cotton/45% polyester decorative pillow in currant, Matteo, 213-617-2813; D) Laura Ashley Dew Flowers, Revman, 212-278-0300; E) Royalty, 410-thread-count cotton sateen pillowcase, Design Works, 770-644-6413; F) Romance Lilac, polyester shower curtain, ceramic wastebasket, tissue box cover, Catalina, 800-230-8773; G) Dragonfly, cotton bath towel in lilac, Cobra Trading Corp., 212-213-1850; H) Clematis, metal tissue box, soap dish, Bacova Bath, 336-841-4800; I) Enya, polyester/cotton placemat, Louisville Bedding Co., 800-626-2954; Natural Bunny resin napkin ring, Bardwil, 212-944-1870; J) Kathleen McKenna's Apples, 50%cotton/50% polyester, placemat, potholder, apron, Tweel Home Furnishings, 973-481-6300; K) Once Again Amethyst, tablecloth, Newbridge, 212-889-6376; L) Paperwhite 100% cotton shower curtain, S. Lichtenberg, 212-689-4510; M) Cable Twist, 50" x 70" Egyptian cotton throw in moss, Matouk, 212-683-9242; N) Linen Weave, 53% olefin/44% cotton/3% acrylic decorative pillow, Surefit Inc., 877-639-2683.